Stockbridge-Munsee Band withholds casino revenue in Wisconsin

Tuesday, March 7, 2017

The Stockbridge-Munsee Community owns and operates the North Star Mohican Casino Resort in Bowler, Wisconsin. Photo: North Star Mohican Casino

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The Stockbridge-Munsee Community is withholding $923,000 in gaming revenues from the state of Wisconsin as part of a dispute over new tribal facilities.

In a letter to Gov. Scott Walker (R), President Shannon Holsey accused the state of violating the tribe's Class III gaming compact. At issue is the expansion of a casino owned by the Ho-Chunk Nation.

“While we must protect our sovereign right to self-determination, we have always enjoyed a productive relationship with the state of Wisconsin and we hope that Governor Walker will heed our requests for fair compact enforcement so that this matter can be resolved without expensive and protracted litigation,” Holsey said in a press release on Monday as he said the tribe will invoke the dispute resolution provisions of the agreement.

A provision in the Ho-Chunk Nation's Class III gaming compact authorizes Class III gaming at four primary facilities and five ancillary facilities. The casino in Wittenberg is considered an ancillary facility. Source: Wisconsin Department of Administration

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The Ho-Chunk Nation has defended the $33 million expansion at its casino in Wittenberg. And the Walker administration previously concluded that the project does not run afoul of the tribe's Class III gaming compact

The agreement authorizes the Ho-Chunk Nation to operate "ancillary" facilities where gaming activities are considered secondary to the overall nature of the facility. The Stockbridge-Munsee Community contends that the Wittenberg expansion violates the compact because it will be a "full-blown" casino once the expansion is complete.

As a result, the Stockbridge-Munsee Community says Wittenberg will cause losses to its North Star Casino Resort. The two facilities are only 16 miles apart.

Read More on the Story:
Stockbridge-Munsee tribe withholding casino payment over dispute with state (The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel 3/6)
Stockbridge-Munsee tribe threatens to stop casino payment (AP 3/6)